Ten Things I've Done that You Probably Haven't (and if you have, do tell!)

[vvvexation]

Seen in several people's journals, but I like cyan_blue's title the best.

At various times in my life, I have:

1. Snitched an entire cream pie from a school dining hall
2. Attended the funeral of someone I'd never met
3. Gatecrashed a couple of complete strangers' wedding reception
4. Sung in an opera
5. Joined the drum circle in Sproul Plaza
6. Won a medal at a state archery tournament
7. Had Douglas Hofstadter sign my birth certificate
8. Recited "Jabberwocky" in full while simultaneously writing out something completely unrelated using a friend's back for a desk
9. Stayed in a dorm with Kelsey Grammer's daughter
10. Had to explain that goth != asexual

Details and elaborations, of course, available by request.

Comments

[gatopreto.livejournal.com]

7. Had Douglas Hofstadter sign my birth certificate That's cool. I recently rediscovered my copy of Metamagical Themas, probably given to me in '86 or '87 by an aunt and uncle. Do all math geeks have people like Hofstadter sign their birth cirtificates or is he your father?

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

I think a few math geeks and a lot of cogsci geeks. We're not related, although I incidentally have somewhere in my possession a letter to my dad from Martin Gardner.

[tenacious-snail.livejournal.com]

#7 is also the one that I had questions about...more please?
#6 reminds me of the summer I went to camp with my cousin and we pretended not to be ditching archery.


#2 is actually true for me as well, more than once, but they were a combination of professional obligations and going to support a sweetie.

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

He came to speak here my freshman year or so, and I happened to have it on me although I didn't have any of his books on hand. He was amused.

[flwyd.livejournal.com]

Did he sign it "This is Doug Hofstadter's signature" or something suitably self-referential?

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

Were you the one who asked me that a while ago?

No, he didn't.

[flwyd.livejournal.com]

I knew there was something eerie about that comment.

Apparently it's a looping topic.

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

*groan* And now you've made it a self-referential loop.

[hitchhiker.livejournal.com]

Why specifically your birth certificate?

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

It was the only interesting piece of paper I had on me at the time, as my copy of Godel, Escher, Bach was miles away.

#5...

[the-ogre.livejournal.com]

Done that - was much fun.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I was going to say I've done 5, but then I remembered I've only hung out there and watched for long periods of time (and let various kids I was babysitting dance with the drums), I haven't joined in.

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

Just as well; you escaped the blisters. *winces with remembered pain*

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I got the title from Misia.

2. Attended the funeral of someone I'd never met

Ah, I've got that one. A friend of my grandmother's passed away, and my father wanted to go pay respects but he had a business trip, so he asked me to go pay his respects instead.

3. Gatecrashed a couple of complete strangers' wedding reception

Haven't done that, but I did gatecrash a wedding that I hadn't been invited to once. The groom and bride were happy to see me - we were friendly, just not close enough that they'd have thought to invite me. I was picking up a friend who was attending.

[marmaladious.livejournal.com]

Opera! Yeah! Singing is great, but waaaaaaaaaay beyond me. (much less singing opera)

[tsgeisel.livejournal.com]

Re: #10. You'll have to prove that one to me by example. :-)

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

Considering the places I've run into you, I wouldn't think you still needed proof....

[tsgeisel.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well, seeing ain't always believing... :-)